The role of professional education in building capacity for health promotion in the global South: a case study from Norway.

The capacity to train public health professionals is far from sufficient to meet urgent global needs. Foreign aid programs hold much promise to deal with this challenge. A case study from Norway illustrates the possibilities. Since the early 1960s, Norwegian universities have offered English-taught masters and doctoral degree programs, with sufficient financial support that all Third World students have the resources to complete training, regardless of their personal financial circumstances. This facet of the program is its main distinguishing factor, compared to many educational opportunities that are available in other countries. Since the first visiting students were awarded degrees in 1968, almost 10,000 students have participated at more than 25 Norwegian institutions, including many offering public health training. Many eligible applicants have been turned away due to lack of resources, indicating a level of interest that cannot be met with existing resources. Similar programs in more countries could help alleviate the need.